Tips on blending

[Karen1961]

I wonder if anyone can offer some help. I have only just qualified as beauty therapist which included the nail technician qualification. This has really only taught me the basics and I only do gel extensions at the mo. I have just incorporated this into my business but I desperately need to speed up with my blending. It is taking me me about 2 hours 15 mins to do a set of nails (without the nail art!) I also think that my blending could be better as you can still see the join where the artifical blends in with the natural nail sometimes. Can any kind person give me some tips as to how to perfect my blending so I can speed up a bit!! Thanks

Karen

 

[Peter Pan]

I also think that my blending could be better as you can still see the join where the artifical blends in with the natural nail sometimes. Karen

the only advice i could give you on this score pet is that youre not blending sufficiently.... i had this prob when i first started out. but with practice you WILL get there, but it takes time and patience, gosh, i even filed holes in some of my first models (god forbid) - if you work from BEHIND the tip, as apposed to the "on the tip edge" i always found that it worked better and you get a better blend

hth

 

[Envy]

This is how I do it

Adhere, ensuring complete contact is made (no air bubbles)

Clip to length.
Bring in side walls with 240 hard board (kanga)
Shape the free edge with 180 grit (hot shot - smoother side)
thin down entire tip, working towards you starting from the
free edge working up wards.. (180) Look down the barrel
to check you have thinned the whole tip.
if you thin the entire tip out in this way then the seam
will easily vanish using a 240 (koala/ boomerang board)

(at least it sounds easy, takes a while to really get the hang!)

People often don't thin the whole tip and just start hammering away at the seam, which is nearly impossible to blend properly (without damaging the natural nail) - the whole tip needs to be thinned to make it blend!!
HTH

 

[mum]

Hi Karen

Sorry to be brutal but I think you should complain to your college! If they have taught and passed you to do a set of nails taking over 2 hours and with the tip still showing they have not taught you at all well and should not get away with it.

I truly believe that you will not do your new business any favours if you offer this service to your clients yet. You will loose more than you gain. I suggest you do a short course with a reputable product company if you want to be successful with nails.

Please see this as genuine advice and not just negative critism. It makes me so cross that so many colleges do this to their students.

 

[jefineruk]

Practice is the best policy, however get yourself a bottle of tip blend, apply a thin coat to the join of nail and tip. Let it soak in for a couple of seconds and file gently along the join towards you. This should then blend the tip in nicely!!

 

[Fingertips ND]

No offence but I think tip blend is c***.

If you practice your blending you will get better and won't need tip blend, etc.

 

[jefineruk]

I have never had any probs with it and find it cuts down on time.

 

[Fingertips ND]

I just pre blend my tips and blending takes me no time at all!

 

[jefineruk]

I suppose its alot to do with the tips you use to!

 

[Fingertips ND]

All my tips are from NSI and I have never used tip blender - always blended!

 

[Prosperity]

At my college Tip blender was banned.

 

[bling nails]

isn't 'tip blender' acetone?

 

[Jaydee]

isn't 'tip blender' acetone?

You got it....tip blender does contain acetone which means you are starting off on the wrong foot with a service breakdown before you have even applied your product. There is a tutorial on tip blending in premium geek.
David

 

[Jeni Giles]

You got it....tip blender does contain acetone which means you are starting off on the wrong foot with a service breakdown before you have even applied your product. There is a tutorial on tip blending in premium geek.
David

Some tip blenders contain esthers of acetone and methylethylketones which are in the monomer family. These chemicals don't stop working, they keep dissolving the plastic and the acrylic you put over them.

Always stay with in your manufacturer's recommended guidelines. If the system you are using doesn't contain a tip blender, don't use one, it will lead to problems that you will be responsible for. The manufacturer's in this industry spend millions in research to produce safe stable product lines, when we take it upon ourselves to introduce another brand into our system, it may cause chemical reactions or service breakdowns that we are not prepared to deal with.

A popular brand of Fiberglass over here has a tip blender and with in their system it works wonderfully. When you use it with L&P you have lifting, product that takes longer to polymerise, if it will polymerise and in some instances produces a heat sensation.

It takes a little practice to get a tip blended properly and with out damage, but it can be and is done all the time, keep working and it will come!:hug: HTH

 

[Charlene]

This is how I do it

Adhere, ensuring complete contact is made (no air bubbles)

Clip to length.
Bring in side walls with 240 hard board (kanga)
Shape the free edge with 180 grit (hot shot - smoother side)
thin down entire tip, working towards you starting from the
free edge working up wards.. (180) Look down the barrel
to check you have thinned the whole tip.
if you thin the entire tip out in this way then the seam
will easily vanish using a 240 (koala/ boomerang board)

(at least it sounds easy, takes a while to really get the hang!)

People often don't thin the whole tip and just start hammering away at the seam, which is nearly impossible to blend properly (without damaging the natural nail) - the whole tip needs to be thinned to make it blend!!
HTH

Sorry just wanted to clarify the red. So you start on the free edge and work your way thinning towards the seam??? Just got confused as you said working towards you working upwards. Thanks for the input! Charlene.

 

[Mrs Geek]

The Premium Geek Tutorial section has lots of info on tip blending - check it out!!!

 

[Northern Nails]

I was taught to blend at the seam, right on the edge of the join. I then read the tutorial that Mrs Geek pointed out and find it alot better as yu are alos thing the tip, resulting in a more refined enhancement

 

[geeg]

http://www.thenailgeek.com/showthread.php?t=8358

This is the link.

 

[Karen1961]

the only advice i could give you on this score pet is that youre not blending sufficiently.... i had this prob when i first started out. but with practice you WILL get there, but it takes time and patience, gosh, i even filed holes in some of my first models (god forbid) - if you work from BEHIND the tip, as apposed to the "on the tip edge" i always found that it worked better and you get a better blend

hth

Thank you for that, I do feel better knowing that I will improve with practise and with tips from kind people like yourself. I have just done a set of tips today and was really pleased with them. It took me just under 2 hours so i'm getting there.

 

[PLAOH]

Hi Karen,

It does get easier practice, practice, practice.

I also found that some brands of tips were thicker than others, therefore you had more thinning and work to do.